I’ve been spending much of my time lately combing through the thousands of looks from the spring/summer 2024 runway shoes to inform our big new-season trend report. This lengthy process was made all the more time consuming, as I kept getting distracted by all the pretty shoes I found on my travels. Admittedly, I am a shoe person but one who can usually contain herself, only backing or buying into the shoe trends I genuinely think have merit and will have a positive impact and push forward my style. I certainly didn’t expect to fall (hard!) for nine of them!
For the year ahead, designers have presented a range of shoe trends, including, but not limited to, a continuation of mary janes and styles finished in rich ruby red that echo the season’s defining colour. I’ll admit, 90% of the shoe trends for 2024 aren’t exactly practical either—there are bows, fragile heels and soft fabrications to eat up. But they are fun, and will bring joy to even your most basic outfits. However, if comfort really is your main concern, rest assured there is a shoe waiting for you in the midst…
Ahead, see the nine biggest shoe trends for 2024, including the styles to shop now. Then, why not take a peek at handbags while you’re at it…
Style Notes: This season, bows cropped up across clothing and accessories, though shoes were perhaps the most charming iteration. Erdem’s incorporation of bows extends beyond ornamentation, nor does it adhere to practicality either—its floppy, ground-skimming bows were a deliberate choice; one that transforms each step into a nuanced state of elegance.
Style Notes: The resurgence of the mary jane has had a significant impact on fashion for 2024, with the shoe style appearing on countless runways. As seen at 16Arlington—the brand favoured heeled styles over flats—it bestowed every look with a timeless sophistication. These shoes aren’t just accessories; they’re a continuum of grace.
Style Notes: Corsage detailing might have been big over the past few months, but the trend still has steam in 2024. Now, I’m seeing more and more floral shoes enter the discussion. Chloé’s petal pile-up makes for an interesting texture, but you can also find more sculptural, modern styles on the market if your style is less whimsical.
Style Notes: After a solid year of silver stealing focus, gold is back on the style agenda, with dresses, bags and suiting all paying homage to the metallic. On shoes, you’ll notice lots of gold accents will begin to infiltrate the market. Think gleaming heels, contrast toe caps and chunky adornments, including studs and snaffles.
Style Notes: This season, a spotlight has been shone on slip-on house shoes. Delivering more than just comfort, suede clogs and shearling-lined booties signify a lifestyle shift, blurring the boundaries between home and the outside world. Cosy and cool, follow JW Anderson’s lead and wear yours with sleek outerwear for a fun juxtaposition.
Style Notes: There may be no place like home, but this shoe trend is too pretty to keep cooped up indoors. Red shoes, be they fancy heels or flats, were all over the runway—this shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing as bright red has been the biggest colour trend of the past year—and offer an easy way to pep up your outfits for 2024.
Style Notes: Socks and sandals might be your dad’s forte come summer, but Victoria Beckham just presented the combination a wholly different context. Pairing knee-highs with stacked-sole sandals, the look becomes spicy (and posh).
Style Notes: With footwear being as much an accessory as any jewellery trend, its a natural evolution for the two to combine. For 2024, Fendi showcased that the hybrid anklet-shoe offering form, function and a little flashiness in one.
Style Notes: Unless you’re jetting off in the next few months, this is a trend you’ll probably want to revisit in May. Although simple, the humble flip-flops’s hold on 2024 can’t be ignored. Seen all over the fashion month circuit, it was Chanel that cemented this as a need-to-know shoe trend. How cute as those tiny interlocking Cs?
